EECERA Prague Improving Language and Literacy Opportunities in an Early Years Setting Annette J. Kearns, IPPA Ireland

2EECERA Prague 2007 What impact do practical strategies have on the provision of language and literacy opportunities in an early years setting? Research Question…

3EECERA Prague 2007 What prompted this study? What prompted this study? Who was involved? Who was involved? Background

4EECERA Prague 2007 Illiteracy levels in this geographical area are higher than the national average (Eivers et al 2004) Illiteracy levels in this geographical area are higher than the national average (Eivers et al 2004) One third of all households in this area are headed by a lone parent – over twice the national average (Dartington Social Research Unit 2004) One third of all households in this area are headed by a lone parent – over twice the national average (Dartington Social Research Unit 2004) 29% of the children in this area live with one or both parents who have no educational qualifications 29% of the children in this area live with one or both parents who have no educational qualificationsContext

5EECERA Prague 2007 Vygotsky (1978) Vygotsky (1978) Bruner (1986) Bruner (1986) Strickland (1989) Strickland (1989) Whitehead (1999) Whitehead (1999) Literature Review

6EECERA Prague 2007 Vygotsky (1978) … believed that the child begins to perceive the world not only through their eyes but also through their speech

7EECERA Prague 2007 Bruner (1986) … considered storytelling as being important to enable us in ‘understanding self and bringing cognition, emotion and action together to give experience ‘cultural relevance’

8EECERA Prague 2007 … believed that learning to read and write requires active participation in activities that have meaning in the child’s daily life and are interrelated processes that develop in concert with oral language Strickland (1989)

9EECERA Prague 2007 Whitehead (1999) … considers that ‘children need adults to be literacy facilitators who provide the time, opportunities and materials for literacy to happen and for children and print of all kinds to get together’

10EECERA Prague 2007 Research Methodology Action Research Idea reconnaissance plan Action steps 1 2 and 3 monitor implementation revise plan reconnaissance STAGE 1 Completed

11EECERA Prague 2007 Sample PROFILE OF THE GROUP PROFILE OF THE GROUP 12 practitioners from the one childcare service 12 practitioners from the one childcare service All are aged between 19 and 48 All are aged between 19 and 48 5 completed primary; 7 started but only 4 completed secondary; 6 of the total group have completed a basic childcare qualification 5 completed primary; 7 started but only 4 completed secondary; 6 of the total group have completed a basic childcare qualification Poor confidence levels with regard to own literacy which is at varying levels Poor confidence levels with regard to own literacy which is at varying levels All from local and surrounding areas All from local and surrounding areas Working with children aged between 3 months and 10 years Working with children aged between 3 months and 10 years

12EECERA Prague 2007 Data Collection Methods Participant Observation Group members Throughout programme Qualitative Interview Interview Centre manager Centre manager End of programme End of programme Focus Group Focus Group Group members Group members End of programme End of programme

13EECERA Prague 2007 Programme information IPPA/PLN is a 10 hour programme, delivered over 3 or 4 sessions, and it explores the role that language and literacy plays in early years services. IPPA/PLN is a 10 hour programme, delivered over 3 or 4 sessions, and it explores the role that language and literacy plays in early years services. New strategies are discussed and practitioners have an opportunity to engage in the process. New strategies are discussed and practitioners have an opportunity to engage in the process. It supports children’s language development and emergent literacy practices. It supports children’s language development and emergent literacy practices.

14EECERA Prague 2007 Strategies being used… Before During and After (BDA) storytelling technique Before During and After (BDA) storytelling technique

15EECERA Prague 2007 Strategies being used… Bookmaking

16EECERA Prague 2007 Storytellingand Story acting (Vivian Gussin Paley) Strategies being used…

17EECERA Prague 2007 The starting point… What does language mean? What does language mean? ‘being able to talk’ ‘being able to talk’ ‘being able to be understood’ ‘being able to be understood’ ‘knowing what to say and how to say it’ ‘knowing what to say and how to say it’ What does literacy mean? What does literacy mean? ‘books and reading’ ‘books and reading’ ‘being able to read’ ‘being able to read’

18EECERA Prague 2007 ‘In the pre-school, before they go to school you should be trying to teach them their letters’ ‘You could teach them the alphabet when they are about three but reading is for when they are in school’ ‘When the children show an interest in playschool you could teach them their letters. Some of them want to know the letters in their names’ What is the adult’s role?

19EECERA Prague 2007 What is current provision like? The baby room – The baby room – ‘we’re with the babies so you can’t really do anything’ ‘we’re with the babies so you can’t really do anything’ The toddlers room – The toddlers room – ‘we try and read them stories but they don’t really listen’ ‘we try and read them stories but they don’t really listen’ The pre-school room – The pre-school room – ‘we have a story time every day and the children have to sit and listen. They also have to read books for time-out when they get too rowdy’ ‘we have a story time every day and the children have to sit and listen. They also have to read books for time-out when they get too rowdy’ The after-school room – The after-school room – ‘our children are a mix of ages so we don’t really do any stories but the older ones sometimes look at the books’ ‘our children are a mix of ages so we don’t really do any stories but the older ones sometimes look at the books’

20EECERA Prague 2007 Programme of implementation Over a period of 6 weeks, the programme was delivered. Over a period of 6 weeks, the programme was delivered. In each session the practitioners engaged in 2 new strategies. In each session the practitioners engaged in 2 new strategies. Each practitioner was then expected to bring these back to the children they work with and try them out in the setting. Each practitioner was then expected to bring these back to the children they work with and try them out in the setting.

21EECERA Prague 2007 ‘The thing I took from it was to take more time selecting a story for story time, being more aware of picking a story that they can join in – and it did work!’ ‘We made books of photos and the kids told the story of what was happening. ‘Cos its Christmas we put in Christmas pictures and then we talked all about the different things’. Focus group findings…

22EECERA Prague 2007 ‘The ones that listened to a story went off and did more, did a picture about it’. ‘Storytime wasn’t working out so we changed the seating and were more careful with the choice of book. We got them to join in and they stayed which was unusual’ ‘I read the story and then they read it back to me – sometimes it does sound like the story and sometimes it’s their own little story. But, yea, its really good to hear them saying it’ Focus group findings…

23EECERA Prague 2007 Is there a difference in practice? Is there a difference in practice? Implementing the new strategies and sharing ideas from one room to another. Implementing the new strategies and sharing ideas from one room to another. Increased level of engagement in reading activities and extending these activities through the BDA Increased level of engagement in reading activities and extending these activities through the BDA Increasing their use of props to aid storytelling Increasing their use of props to aid storytelling How they are taking time to figure out what might make something new work. How they are taking time to figure out what might make something new work. A noted increased level of dialogue with the children. A noted increased level of dialogue with the children. Interview findings…

24EECERA Prague 2007 ‘there is a shift to a positive attitude towards language and literacy. It is no longer regarded as an activity they have to get done and move on, it has become an enjoyable part of the day, in fact a major part of the day’. ‘they are all delighted with all that (the children wanting lots of books read to them) and they are seeing the benefits of doing it all’ Interview findings…

25EECERA Prague 2007 Observation findings… The Baby Room – are now reading stories to the babies and playing talking and singing games The Baby Room – are now reading stories to the babies and playing talking and singing games The Toddler Room - made the book area attractive to the children and placed an adult in the area at all times. Children began to look for stories to be read to them and began to select their own preferences. Adults talk more to the children now. The Toddler Room - made the book area attractive to the children and placed an adult in the area at all times. Children began to look for stories to be read to them and began to select their own preferences. Adults talk more to the children now. The Pre-school Room – Both children and adults enjoy the BDA. Stories are being extended and turned into table-top games and creative activities. The Pre-school Room – Both children and adults enjoy the BDA. Stories are being extended and turned into table-top games and creative activities.

26EECERA Prague 2007 Observation findings… The Pre-school Room – Both children and adults enjoy the BDA. Stories are being extended and turned into table-top games and creative activities. The children have begun to read books to each other and to the adults ‘they weren’t really reading you know, they were reading the pictures!’. The Pre-school Room – Both children and adults enjoy the BDA. Stories are being extended and turned into table-top games and creative activities. The children have begun to read books to each other and to the adults ‘they weren’t really reading you know, they were reading the pictures!’. The Afterschool Room - They began to read to each other following encouragement from the adults. Adults provided more creative activities and became more involved with the children, engaging in dialogue. The Afterschool Room - They began to read to each other following encouragement from the adults. Adults provided more creative activities and became more involved with the children, engaging in dialogue.

27EECERA Prague 2007 What impact do practical strategies have on the provision of language and literacy opportunities in an early years setting? Research Question…

28EECERA Prague 2007 With the Practitioners… A definite increase in confidence with regard to their own literacy A definite increase in confidence with regard to their own literacy A willingness to share ideas that work within the setting A willingness to share ideas that work within the setting A willingness to take risks trying out new strategies A willingness to take risks trying out new strategies Conclusions…

29EECERA Prague 2007 With the children… An increased interest in books and reading from the children An increased interest in books and reading from the children An increase in the children’s self esteem with regard to books and bookmaking An increase in the children’s self esteem with regard to books and bookmaking An increase in dialogue between the practitioners and the children An increase in dialogue between the practitioners and the children Conclusions…

30EECERA Prague 2007 Implications for policy and practice More training needed to help continue the shift towards positive engagement More training needed to help continue the shift towards positive engagement More resources needed to help provide this training to services in disadvantaged areas. More resources needed to help provide this training to services in disadvantaged areas. More research needed into the language and literacy needs within every community More research needed into the language and literacy needs within every community

31EECERA Prague 2007 ThankYou